Top 25 Games of the Decade (2000-2009) - Day 24

The end of
the decade is upon us and it’s time to revisit the landscape of gaming that
began in 2000 with the launching of the PlayStation 2 and is now ending in 2009
with three viable console platforms in the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.

Over the
next 25 days, GameZone will be bringing our readers the “Top 25 Games of the
Decade.” Considering how many games released in the past ten years, it was an
exhausting process to narrow down our initial list of more than 200 games to the
top 25.

Factors that
played a large part for titles that made the cut included: initial impact,
lasting impact, longevity, “standing the test of time”, popularity, advancements
in the genre, and much more. It wasn’t easy picking and choosing between our
favorite children, but we feel the games that made our list are representative
of the decade that was.

Controversial, notorious and one of
the most popular franchises in all of gaming, Grand Theft Auto took to the
headlines in 2001 with the release of Grand Theft Auto III.

Not only was Grand Theft Auto III a smash hit, but it’s still affecting gaming
today. Even with the release of Grand Theft Auto IV and other competitors such
as Saints Row 2, GTA III reigns supreme as the predecessor to the genre that
laid the foundation for the entire decade.

As one of the most important video
games of the past decade, Rockstar helped inspire the infatuation for sandbox
titles. The overflow of sandbox titles that gave gamers the freedom to run
around and do as they please was astonishingly high. Matter of fact, the
tradition continues still to this day, almost 10 years later and hasn’t waned
one bit.

Containing a wide variety of
missions and an aurally pleasing soundtrack, Grand Theft Auto III broke new
ground back in 2001 and never looked back. If there was one game that affected
gaming the most in the past decade, it would have to be Grand Theft Auto III.
The only reason why it was placed as our second and not our first is that it
seems that the sandbox genre is slowly losing its popularity and our #1 title
helped push new boundaries in new areas that are currently being explored.

But even with that considered, Grand
Theft Auto III is among the best games of all time.

“Regardless on
where your loyalties lie, always watch your back. You’ll never know when a
friend becomes an enemy,” John Wrentmore,
GameZone.

Previously announced …

#25 –
Shenmue II. Find
the story
here.#24 –
Counter-Strike. Find the story
here.#23 – Gears of
War. Find the story
here.#22 – Guitar
Hero. Find the story
here.#21 – The Elder
Scrolls III: Morrowind. Find the story
here.#20 - Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec. Find the story
here.#19 - Final Fantasy X. See the story
here.#18 - Ico. See the story
here.#17 - Bioshock. See the story
here.
#16 - The Sims. See the story
here.#15 - Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2. See the story
here.
#14 - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. See the story
here.#13 - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. See the story
here.#12 - Super Mario Galaxy. See the story
here.#11 - Halo: Combat Evolved. See the story
here.#10 - Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. See the story
here.#9
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. See the story
here.#8 Metroid Prime (2002). See the story
here.#7
God of War (2005). See the story
here.#6
Half-Life 2 (2004). See the story
here.#5
Diablo II (2000). See the story
here.
#4
Deus Ex (2000). See the story
here.#3
World of Warcraft (2004). See the story
here.

* * *

Here’s a hint for
tomorrow’s #1 Game of the Decade: A new look at how zombies changed the face of
gaming.